Royalty of New York
by Lucks
Summary: A humorous romance. Growing up. Friends. A new career. A girl and a boy living life in one of the busiest cities in the turn of the century America. Then something happens that spins there lives totally out of control...Will they survive?
1. Chapter I

Medda's was packed that night. It was a normal Friday night, filled with laughter and hootin' and hollerin' from the crowd.

One table in the corner, however, was very quiet.

At one part of the table sat Racetrack Higgins. The short Italian sat calmly. He had five cards in his hands. He was also wearing his trademark poker face. He had a cigar hanging out of his expressionless lips and he occasionally glanced up at the other players.

To his left was a blonde girl. Her name was Lucks. She was sitting there, perfectly still, her big blue eyes staring at the cards in front of her with a dazed look. Her short hair fell into her face, causing her long eyelashes to flutter. A slender hand shot up to attempt to tuck it safely behind her ear.

To her left was another girl with stick-straight brown hair that was also tucked behind one of her own ears. This was Curly. She was frowning, confused down at her cards.

Next to her was Spot Conlon. The saucy Brooklynite smirked to the other players. He only came into Manhattan for the weekly poker night... and to spend time with Curly. Now was a perfect occasion for both.

Next was Kid Blink. Eye patch over one eye, Kid glared at the cards in his hand.

Mush looked at his cards blankly. Skittery and Specs looked at their cars and then at each other before dropping their cards saying, "Fold."

Jack Kelly sat next to Specs. His chocolate brown eyes glinted in the candlelight.

All the other Manhattan newsies sat behind the poker players. They were very intense spectators.

Four other girls sat in the group of spectators as well...

Fidget, a young girl with big eyes and somewhat bushy hair, sat behind Skittery, her arm cautiously wrapped around his shoulder.

Cat, a girl with long black hair and a bored expression, stood behind Blink, leaning on his chair slightly, and dug dirt from under her fingernail with a pocketknife.

Giggles stood quietly with her slender arms draped around Mush. She yawned and her thin lips opened to reveal her sparkling teeth.

And finally Flashbox sat at a nearby table next to Jake, biting a fingernail nervously.

"All right gentlemen..." Race glanced at Lucks and Curly who looked mockingly offended. "And ladies." He added. "Show ya cahds."

Jack laid out an eight, a six, two fours, and a two, all but one four was a club. Mush also had a four, a five, a six, a two, and a nine, all diamonds. The newsies cheered, and Giggles kissed him on the cheek, excited. Blink laid down his cards, two nines. Spot laid down a ten, a nine, an eight, and a seven, all hearts.

"Read 'em 'n weep, fellas." Spot smirked and took the money from Mush.

Curly frowned and laid down a three, two twos, and a five.

"Not so fast, Spot." Lucks smirked gently laying down a five, a four, a three, a six, and an Ace.

The crowd cheered again. Spot mumbled something as Lucks gathered the money towards herself to begin counting it.

"A ten, a Jack, a Queen, a King, and an Ace...all spades." Racetrack interrupted, laying down his cards. "Sorry Lucks, but I'll be takin' dat." He grabbed the money away from her and began to count it. He was now wearing a very smug expression. He looked up. "'Nuddah game anyone?" He grinned and winked at Lucks who lazily punched him in the arm.

Flash stood up, sighed, and yawned. "Well, ladies, it's time to go."

Giggles and Mush exchanged goodbyes with three small kisses and an eskimo kiss.

Cat and Blink gave each other a simple hug and goodnight kiss.

Curly and Spot had left together. She was probably going to walk him home. Or the other way around.

Finally it was Lucks, Race, and the girls left.

"We'll meetcha back at da house, Lucks." Flash winked. She ushered the girls away from the table and out of Irving Hall.

Race started to pack up his cards. He placed the small, worn box into the front pocket of his vest and patted it, as if to make it'd be safe.

The crowd of people slowly began to disperse after Medda had left the stage.

"Ya ready?" Lucks asked Race, sliding his coat over her shoulders.

"Yeah, I juss wanna drop by ta see Medda firs-." He looked up at Lucks and rolled his eyes, trying no to smile. "First." He took his coat in his hand and pulled it off of her. "An' dats mine."

Lucks stuck out her tongue as a little brat who didn't get her way would.

Race patted her cheek with a rough hand. "Ya shouldn't do dat. It makes ya face look fat..." He tried not to smirk, but his wits got the best of him and a playful grin spread across his face.

Lucks' expression changed with the snap of a finger.

She threw a punch at him which he easily dodged. He threw his hands up and perched his thumbs on either on of his temples and waggled his fingers, crossed his eyes, and stuck out his tongue immaturely before laughing and running away to the backstage of Irving Hall.

Lucks rolled her eyes, grinned, and chased after him.

Race took his hat off, fixed his hair, and took a flower from a passing stagehand before knocking on Medda's dressing room door.

The door opened a crack just as Lucks came up and wrapped a lazy arm around Race's shoulder.

Medda's head poked out the door and she smiled sweetly seeing the two of them.

"Hiya Medda." Lucks grinned, breathing heavily and resting her head on Race's shoulder.

"How ya been, kid?" Medda opened the door to reveal herself in a purple silk robe, her curls tossed over her shoulder.

Race took her hand in his own and brought it to his lips.

Medda smiled.

"We came ta say thanks again," Lucks smiled softly.

"Oh no problem, come whenever you like." Medda smiled. The phone rang quietly behind her. "Medda, it's Sherri." A girl with short brown hair called to Medda, placing the receiver in her palm. Then the girl looked out the door to see Lucks and Racetrack and she blushed and walked out of sight.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I've got to go. You two stop by later." Medda gave each of them a peck on the cheek before closing the door and leaving them out in the hallway alone.

Lucks stood with a hand on her hip, the other one twirling her short hair.

"So, ya want me ta walk ya home?" Racetrack asked. As if he had any other choice.

"Shoah." Lucks smiled.

Race nodded and casually put his thumbs down the front of his pants as he usually did. Then he began to walk down the hall.

Lucks linked arms with him and rested her head on his shoulder as they left Irving Hall.

On their way, Lucks stopped suddenly. Then she walked to face Racetrack who was utterly confused. Lucks looked up at him and titled her head from side to side.Then she took his hat slowly off of his head and placed it on her own.

Race's brows furrowed even more. He would never understand this girl's ethics.

Lucks ran her fingers casually down his shirt and to his pocket. There she found a cigar and a pack of cards.

She placed the cigar between her thin lips and noticed by the dampness that Race had already tasted it.

She then began to shuffle the cards, walking backwards as she went.

"So, whadd'ya say, Race, ya wanna play a liddle game?" Lucks inquired.

Race looked around. "On da ground?"

Lucks shook her head and smirked. "Nah, not pokah. I was t'inkin' somet'in moah along da lines of... fiddy-two pick-up."

Cards flew. Race's mouth flew open. And Lucks had to cover her own mouth to prevent loud laughter.

"My cahds!" Race looked at the cards on the ground with a shocked expression. But that quickly changed when he looked up at Lucks.

One of her hands was glued to her mouth, the other held his cigar near her side. Her entire body was quivering for fits of giggles to come bursting out of her frail body.

Race almost had to kick himself to stop a smile from spreading across his face. "Oh, ya gonna pay fa dat." He threatened.

Lucks, red faced, removed her hand and managed to stick out her tongue before bursting into her obvious giggles.

Race lunged for the girl and she ran out of his reqach. He grabbed for her again and she ran, this time she so he had to chase after her to catch her.

Unfortunately, Lucks was laughing too hard to run very fast. Within seconds Race had grabbed her by a dark blue suspender and pinned her to the ground.

"Ya gonna pick up my cahds?" Race asked.

Lucks bit her lip and shook her head.

"Oh really? Perhaps I can change ya mind." Race began to tickle her like there was no tomorrow.

Lucks felt a shocking pain in her lip and realized she'd been biting it. She frantically wiped tears out of her eyes. "Okay, okay! I'll do it!" She giggled, licking the blood off her lip.

"Do what?" Race grinned, continuing to tickle her.

"I'll pick up ya cahds! Please, juss stop!" She gasped.

Race stopped tickling her. Satisfied, he stood up. "Dat's what I t'ought." He wiped his hands on his chest before leaning over and grabbing his cigar and hat out of Lucks' hands.

Lucks licked up more blood before wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

She sat up as Race started to to away, but Lucks had a better idea. She wrapped her arms around his legs, knocking him to the ground.

He groaned as she perched herself on his stomach. "Get offa me!"

"Not a chance, Slick. Ya gotta say ya love me first." Lucks smirked.

"A'right. A'right. I do!"

"Do what?"

"I love ya!"

Lucks rolled off and caught Race in a hug as he tried to stand up. "Aw...dat was sweet. I love ya too, Race."

Race rolled his eyes, but smiled and hugged her back.

"I suppose I bettah pick up ya cahds." She winked at him.

"Dat'd be great, Lucks. T'anks!" Race laughed and finally stood up.

Lucks glared and took his hand to help herself up.

After all fifty-two cards were safely in Race's pocket, the two of them were on their way again.

Lucks shivered in the cool night air. She had forgotten her coat at the Lodging House...again.

Race sighed and draped his own coat around her shoulders.

She looked up at him with her big blue-grey eyes and smiled softly. Scooting closer to him, she rested her head on his shoulder.

He placed his hand on her waist, pulling her closer to him. He looked down at her dirty, freckly face. "What didya do ta ya lip?" He touched her bottom lip with his thumb.

Lucks winced slightly. "I bit myself."

Race grinned.

"Because _you_ were ticklin' me!" She hit him playfully in the stomach.

"Be gentle, ya sat on me, in case ya don't remembah." Racetrack laughed.

They approached the Newsgirls' Lodging House. The narrow building sat awkwardly between two wide alleyways. All the second floor windows were lit up. A low noise was coming out of two open windows near the fire escape.

A brunette head in curlers poked out of one of the the windows and peered down the street at the two approaching figures. "Lucks? Come on! Flash needs ya ta help wit da liddle ones!" Giggles' voice called out.

"Okay, I'll be right dere!" Lucks yelled back, frowning.

Giggles stuck her head back in the window.

"So, I'll see ya tamarrah? Same place, same time?" Race asked as they reached the steps leading to the door of the lodging house.

"I dunno. Ya made my lip bleed..." Lucks pretended to thinking about it. Race rolled his eyes and Lucks laughed. "Okay, okay, da docks, six o'clock, I'll be dere."

"Lucks!" Cat called out the window, annoyed.

"I'm comin'!" Lucks replied, equally annoyed.

Cat ducked her head back inside.

Race laughed and leaned down, brushing his lips softly against Lucks'.

Lucks grinned and ravenously deepened the innocent little kiss, clutching the front of Race's very in her hand. Letting go and breaking off the kiss, she handed his jacket.

"Goodnight, Racetrack." She whispered, walking up the stairs and to the front door, making sure to move her hips as she went.

"'Night Lucks." He tipped his hat to her and grinned before turning around to walk home. He began to whistle the tune to a song Medda had sung earlier that night.

Lucks watched his figure grow smaller and smaller into the darkness, and she heard his whistling get fainter and fainter until it was gone.

It amazed her that Race knew the tune of the song when he seemed too into the poker game to notice that anything else was going on.

But then again... he could have noticed something... Lucks did. She noticed his occasional glances in her direction. It was nothing new, but Lucks enjoyed it all the same.

"Lucks!" Curly screamed from up a flight of stairs. Clearly she wasn't happy that Spot had walked her home first.

Lucks turned around, laughed, and clambered up the creaky stairs to meet her friends.

"Finally!" Flashbox exclaimed, pulling a nightgown over the head of a seven-year-old girl. "Now go brush ya teeth." She scooted along the little girl and walked over to tuck in another one.

"Hi Lucks!" A little girl by the name of Bow smiled sweetly.

"Heya Bow." Lucks grinned. "See anythin' good taday?"

Bow nodded ecstatically. "Dere was dis big fight neah Midtown. Two coppahs an' a runk. Shoah ya make da headlines." Bow grinned up at Lucks. "How's Racetrack?"

Lucks' expression changed with the blink of an eye. "He's fine. And no, nothin' happened. Even if it did I wouldn't tell you. It's none 'a' ya business...besides, ya ten yeahs old!" Lucks exclaimed.

Bow just shrugged and sat down so Lucks could braid her hair. "It was worth a shot."

A half-hour later, Lucks, Flashbox, and Curly, with the help of the other four had finally gotten all the girls to go to sleep.

Bow was next to go. With her curly brown hair wrapped in braids around her round, freckly face. She yawned and her small chocolate eyes fluttered, trying to stay awake.

"Goodnight, Bow." Lucks smiled, leading the little girl to her bunk.

Bow obediently laid down. "'Night." And she was asleep within seconds.

Next to fall was Fidget, and then Giggles. One in the bottom bunk right next to the other. Cat and Curly crashed next, both on the tops above the other two. And last were Lucks and Flashbox, Lucks on the bottom between Fidget and the window, and Flash on the top between Cat and the window.

Lucks snuggled into her warm covers and smothered her face in her pillow. She sighed. It was good to sleep in a bed, knowing that people cared for her. She couldn't wait until Saturday night...

The next evening, at six o'clock, a figure could be seen, skipping towards the docks.

It was Lucks. She was wearing a light blue skirt and a Robin's eggs blue sash. The top three buttons of her light blue shirt had gone missing (and been found on Giggles' new dress...) about three days previous, so Lucks just wore it without them, which accidently revealed a small amount of cleavage.

Lucks also had a pair of shoes in her hand. She often walked around barefoot, but still owned shoes to wear to Medda's or when she sold in the wintertime.

She walked over to her normal meeting spot with Racetrack and looked around. He wasn't there. She figured he was just finishing a card game in Midtown. That was where he said he'd be after their late lunch at Tibby's.

But all of those notions were swept out of Lucks' head when the smell of roses came under her nose. She smiled and turned around to see Race holding a single scarlet rose.

She smiled and took it from his hand. This was rose number forty-six. She'd gotten one every Saturday night since they began going out the previous August. She still had every single one. After the date, she'd keep them in water for a week until they were replaced by a new one, then she'd hang it up to dry. She kept a bouquet of dried roses on her bedside table.

Forty-six...roses didn't come cheep either. Ten cents. A whole twenty papes. And Race spent it on her. Most of the time it was loose change he had found at the tracks, but it didn't matter to Lucks, it was the thought that counted.

"Ya like it?" Race grinned.

Lucks nodded and continued brushing it past her nose.

Race placed his hands on her cheeks and her hand fell. He smiled and brushed his lips innocently against her own. She replied slowly and he thankfully deepened the kiss.

Lucks casually draped her arm around his neck and her other hand rested on his chest, feeling the fabric of his vest. She was standing on the balls of her feet and one knee bent, lifting a dirtied foot into the cool night air.

Race sighed and rested his hands on her hips, pulling her dainty body ever so closer. He pressed his forehead against hers.

They looked so perfect like that. The moon reflecting off the bay made all their features brighter and seem to glow. They felt perfect.


	2. Chapter II

The next morning, Lucks awoke, smiling to the sound of girls groaning, not wanting to get up.

She stood up, fully clothed. She must have snuck in through the window and fallen asleep on the spot.

She made her way into the washroom, only to be followed by many sets of eyes.

As Lucks reached the sink, Cat elbowed Curly who looked up, snorted, and was the first one to speak. "So, did ya fun last night, Lucks?"

Lucks shrugged. "Same as every Saturday, why?"

A few girls sniggered. Bow and Fidget covered each other's mouth to stifle some giggles.

Lucks furrowed her brow. "What's so funny?" No reply. "What's going on? Do I have something on my face?"

"Try your neck." Giggles came up behind Lucks, put the mirror in front of her face, and moved her collar just enough to see...

Lucks blushed scarlet and buried her face in her hands.

Resting softly on her neck a fresh hickey. Lucks never felt so embarrassed around her friends.

Meanwhile, in the Boy's Lodging House, Racetrack walked into the washroom. His friends were not so quiet.

"Wooo! Racey-boy!" Jack laughed, buttoning his pants.

"So, how far'dya get?" Blink quivered his eyebrows.

"What are you guys talkin' about?" Race raised an eyebrow.

Specs and Snitch grabbed Race and spun him around to face a mirror. "That's what we're talkin' about." Dutchy sniggered behind them.

"Dat's huge!" Race laughed, seeing the fresh hickey plastered to his neck.

The washroom burst into fits of hysterics and wolf whistles.

"Stupid Race... he might as well have written 'sex machine' across my forehead." Lucks pouted, searching through Giggles' drawer for cover-up that matched her skin. None would...Giggles was too pale.

"Ya didn't do anythin' _dat_ bad, didya?" Cat asked.

"Well, no, but it'll come across dat way ta odduh people, Cat!" Lucks whined.

"Heah." Flashbox tied a red bandana around Lucks' neck. "Dere, now ya can't even see it." She smiled.

Lucks wrapped her arms around Flash. "Thank you, so so so so so so so so so..."

"Lucks! I get da point. No problem." Flash laughed.

Later that day, Race was to be seen at the tracks, as usual, cheering on a hot tip he'd gotten the night before.

Lucks was at the tracks, too. It was another one of those rare occasions when she'd sell there instead of around the docks of Sheepshead Bay. She was selling the morning issue of the New York Sun. Another one of Bryan Denton's "children of New York" articles was on the front page...this time it was something about stable boys.

"Cash Cow in California Gold Mine! Big controversy!" Lucks belted out her own version of the headline, 'Lost Investor found in a California Mine', over the noise of the cheering crowd. A penny flew through the air and she skillfully caught it, throwing up a newspaper to one of the many men in the stands. "Thank you, sir... Thurs-"

"Lucks! Hey! Lucks!"

Lucks looked around. She couldn't miss that gorgeous, accented voice if her life depended on it. "Race?" She called out.

Then a loud, long whistle and an "Ovah heah!"

Lucks turned to her right and grinned. "Race!" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his thin figure.

"Hey! Whadd'ya doin' heah? What's wit dis?" Race tugged on the red bandana around Lucks' neck.

Lucks' hand flew to it. She'd completely forgotten about it. She shot Race an annoyed look. "It's ta covah dis." She replied bluntly, moving the bandana ever so slightly and revealing the hickey that the girls now referred to as 'da Monstah'.

Race laughed and moved his own shirt collar to show her his matching hickey.

Lucks swallowed hard, blushed, and buried her face in her hands.

"What can I say, Lucks? You'se a tigah." He chuckled.

Lucks chucked the three papers she had left at him and hit him on the chest.

He just laughed.

Lucks mocked glared.

"And Benny's in the lead... they're rounding the last corner..." The announcer's voice boomed over the crowd.

Race's eyes got wide and he turned back to the tracks. He then began cheering random things along with the rest of the crowd.

"Aaaaaaand the winner is Benny by a long shot!"

Racetrack's face lit up. "Yeah!" Woohoo! Yes!" He hollered. He turned, grabbed a hold of Lucks' face, and kissed her.

Lucks' legs nearly gave way from underneath her and she collapsed into him as he kissed her.

He gave her a huge hug. He cheered and squeezed her, and then her gave her a dozen kisses all over her face.

Lucks couldn't help but smile and be happy for him. This was a great moment for the man she loved so much.

"Yes!' He grinned and hugged her so hard that her feet lifted off the ground. And then he looked her face with that glint in his eye. He leaned his head towards hers and caressed her lips with his own. Then, pulling her even closer, if possible, he deepened the kiss.

Lucks melted. She felt like her legs were made of gelatin and her heart was a bomb ready to burst with happiness inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself upright, stroking the silky hair on the back of his head.

Race opened his mouth and licked his lips before kissing her again. He cradled her head in his hands, and he could feel her steady breathing so close to his body.

Lucks moved one of her hands to the collar of his shirt, then to his buttons. That's when she noticed he had already unbuttoned his shirt half-way as he usually did on hot summer days. Resting her hand on the bare skin of his chest, she smiled and inwardly noted to thank God for summer later.

A chill rushed down Race's spine and he licked his lips again. His tongue accidently brushed against Lucks' lips. He felt her open her mouth to take a breath, and he felt as though he was torn between standing there, nervous, or kissing her passionately. Luckily, she made the decision for him.

Lucks pulled away and looked around at the slowly departing crowd of people around them. One person wolf whistled in their direction. Lucks blushed and beamed up at Race.

"What?" He asked, though he too was grinning from ear to ear.

"Congratulations!"

Race's expression grew wider, if possible. "I'm takin' ya out! I'm takin' everyone out." He announced, excited.

Lucks laughed an ran a hand through her own hair. "Well, go get da money den!"

Race nodded, let go out her, caught her again, kissed her one more time, and then finally ran to go retrieve his winnings.

Lucks sat down, grinning. She licked her lips and brushed her fingers against them.

The taste was salty, like sea water, but also smoky, that is, if you could taste smoke. Lucks imaged it was his afternoon cigar.

She smiled softly and gazed into the track, one hand resting on her leg, the other caressing her lips.

About a half-hour later, Lucks waltzed into the Girls' Lodging House, humming with a soft smile on her face.

"Someone's happy," Giggles stated, smiling and pulling up her 'non-work' clothes.

"T'anks fa dat, Captain Obvious," Cat rolled her eyes and snapped one of her brown suspenders over her shoulder.

"So, tell us, Lucks. What's wit da hummin'?" Flashbox asked, leaning against one of the bunks and crossing her arms across her chest.

"Ya got yaself anuddah hickey?" Bow asked, grinning. Flash smirked.

Lucks stopped dead and glared in their direction. "No."

"Den what's wit da happy face?" Curly asked, sticking her brown caddy hat on her head.

"Race won! Well, actually, Benny won... but Race got da money and..." Lucks rambled. Giggles seemed to be the only one interested, so Lucks went over to her. "Oh, Giggles, I ain't nevah seen him so happy about a hoahse! He was so cute!" Lucks swooned. "An' he wants ta take us all out."

Giggles well...giggled. Fidget smiled and Bow grinned, both of them joining the happiness.

Curly, Flashbox, and Cat tried to look as if they couldn't care less. Curly scratched her arm and walked into the washroom. Flash gave an almost unnoticeable half-smile, and Cat yawned.

"When does he want ta meet us?" Fidget inquired, encouraging Lucks' excitement.

"An' where?" Bow scooted closer to the trunk at the foot of Giggles' bed.

Lucks, grinning, looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, it's 5:16 right now, so we'll hafta be at Tibby's in about an owah."

"Oh my goodness! Dat means we'll hafta staht gettin' you ready right now!" Giggles exclaimed and pulled Lucks into the washroom.

"Ain't I ready right now?"

"No!"Giggles called Bow and Fidget over to her and the three of them stripped Lucks of all her clothes and threw her into the tub, scrubbing every last piece of dirt off of her.

When that was finished, the other girls finally got involved. Cat put Lucks' blonde hair up into a beautiful butterfly pin that she'd found outside an old burnt down home. (All though she didn't tell the other girls, she figured the burt remains were once a whorehouse near Midtown.)

Flash, after digging through her entire trunk, found an old dress that once belonged to her late mother and no longer fit her. It happened to fit Lucks perfectly, seeing as she was shorter...except for one tiny detail that wasn't quite right.

"I can't breathe! Am I supposed to suffocate to death?" Lucks argued as Bow, Fidget, and Giggles attempted to shrink her bosom so it would fit into the dress.

"It's not my fault ya chest's da size 'a' Pulitzah's ego!" Flash protested.

"An' it's not my fault that yoah's is da size 'a' Weasel's brain." Lucks snapped back.

"Will you two shut-up?" Cat screamed as she pulled the zipper up. It worked, it actually worked for a few moments until... rip.

"My dress!" Flash exclaimed, running her hand down the rip.

"I'll fix it," Curly sighed, grabbing her pin cushion and some string. Within minutes, the dress was back to almost new, and Lucks could breath freely.

Against much protest and swearing from Lucks, Giggles had sat her down and put make-up on her. Not just blush, but eye shadow, eye liner, the works, and by an hour later Lucks looked like she'd just come off the vaudeville stage.

Curly, Flash, Cat, Giggles, Fidget, and Bow, who had managed talking hem all into letting her go, walked into Tibby's. The boys were laughing and throwing things around. Cat stood on one of the table. "Hey! Listen up!" Everyone was quiet and looked at her. Blink wolf whistled and he shot him a look that was half loving and half annoyed.

"All right. May we present to you, the new and improved, Lucks."

Lucks walked in, blushing. She hated how everyone was staring at her. Many of the boys took off their hats. Some whispered, some whistled. Race stepped out of the crowd.

"Hello goigeous." He grinned and Lucks shot him a look. "Sorry, boys, I gots her all to myself." He gave a her a small kiss and led her over to the table.

In the next two hours, Lucks had gone into the bathroom and traded clothes with Giggles to be comfortable. Giggles, actually found Lucks dress comfortable...Lucks believed Giggles needed to be committed to the local Loony Bin, but that's besides the point.

Racetrack Higgins, a short Italian man, was sitting next to Lucks, drunk out of his wits. Then, since Lucks was no longer paying attention to him, he stood up on the table and began to sing. "Come back my lovey dovey baby, I boo-hoo-hoo fa you. I used ta be yoah doosty-moosty, den you said doodely-doo."

Lucks, embarrassed, hit him in the leg. "Race, get down from dere, you might pass out and den I'll end up laughin' and not helpin' ya up."

Race giggled and sat next to her again. "I miss da hanky-panky..."

"Each nighty-night 'till t'ree!" Jack, obviously also drunk, chipped in.

"Come back my lovey-dovey-" Blink pitched in.

"I think it's time to leave now." Cat nodded and pulled Blink's arm over her shoulder.

The other girls and sober boys nodded in agreement and helped the other out of Tibby's.

Lucks took the money out of Race's pocket and handed the proper amount to the owner. "T'anks." She smiled before swinging Race's arm over her shoulder and helping him out of Tibby's. She almost fell over under his weight.

"Sing wit me Lucks." He breathed.

She shriveled her nose at the smell of alcohol on his breath and pushed his head away. "Whaddya want me ta sing?"

Race smiled and loudly, picking himself up off her a little, began to sing. "HIGH TIMES, HARD TIMES, SOMETIMES THE LIVING IS SWEET..."

Lucks smiled. They were now ahead of the crowd of Newsies. "And sometimes there's nothing to eat. But I always lands on my feet." She pitched in.

Race then grabbed her around the waist and began to skip. Lucks laughed. They continued to sing. "SO WHEN THERE'S DRY TIMES, I WAIT FOR HIGH TIMES AND THEN...I PUT ON MY BEST AND I STICK OUT MY CHEST AND I'M OFF TO THE RACES AGAAAAAAIN!"

After singing the same verse over and over again, they finally reached the lodging house. Lucks was bent over with a stitch in her side from laughing so hard. Race leaned against the railing of the lodging house, laughing too.

"Well, 'night Lucks." He leaned down to kiss her.

Lucks turned her head so he missed and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Race. I'll see ya tamarrah. An' I want ya ta know dat I hope ya have a HUGE hangovah tamarrah, ya drunk bastahd."

"Woids hurt, Lucks." Race stumbled with his own 'woids'.

"I know, but it's okay ta say 'em, Race, cuz ya ain't gonna remembah dat I said dem in da mornin'!" Lucks patted him on the cheek. "Now get a bed ya goon." She smiled and waited for him to go inside and the other girls to catch up before she would walk back with them all to the Lodging House for another good nights sleep.


	3. Chapter III

**A/N: **Hehe...long time no chappy, huh? Well, here 'tis, and if it weren't for Lady Arachnia (a.k.a. Cat... a.k.a. Talicia) these next three chappys wouldn't even be typed out (nope, they'd still be wedged in my head along with my other 555,555,555,555,555,5555,555,555,555,555... _other_ fic ideas!) So, read and review and be the good liddle readahs ya ah!

-------------------

Lucks smiled and took in the fresh morning air as she made her way to Cooney Island. That day had been good so far, so she'd figure she might as well go to the amusement park.

Her morning had started off great. She woke up early, took a cool bath, got dressed, and was ready long before all the other girls. Then they made their way to get their papes for that morning.

Lucks hadn't seen Race, but then again, she didn't expect to. He probably had a hangover enough for all the Manhattan newsies and then some. Poor kid didn't know when to stop.

So, with a hundred papes in hand, Lucks headed off to Coney Island. The sunlight was fresh, which meant that that would be a good day. Heck, she even gypped an apple from an un-expecting vendor along the way.

As she pulled up to the large entrance to the carnival, Lucks took that very apple out of her pocket and shined it on her vest before taking a bite. Bittersweet juices flooded her mouth and she had a feeling of aliveness in her. Yep, definitely a good day.

But, all great things must end, and this one sure did. By the end of the day, Lucks was worn out. She'd sold all of her papes, but not without a little prodding from the little kids around her and shoving from the crowd of people trying to get to their next ride. Not to mention, the day grew hot. No, not just hot, sweltering. Lucks had to strip off her two over shirts and her hat before she was at a close-to-safe temperature.

After the crowd had dissipated, Lucks made her way back to the entrance and wiped sweat off her brow. She let out a long sigh and collapsed on a nearby bench. It had definitely been a long day. The people were gone and the sun was going down, causing a small chill to come up from the ground, but Lucks still felt like she was going to cry. She was tired and sick and she hadn't seen Racetrack Higgins all day. Sure, she sounds like a spoiled child, but wouldn't you?

Then, as if to answer her prayers, a voice called out to her. "Hey, Lucks, whadd're ya doin' heah? Slummin'?"

Lucks looked up. It was Race. His brow was furrowed, and he looked just as tired and worn out as she did, but he was still standing there.

Lucks smiled and forced herself to stand up and meet him. She kissed his cheek, linked his arm with hers, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Take me home." She groaned.

"Not so loud." Race groaned back.

Lucks rolled her eyes. "Make me!" She practically yelled in his ear. He deserved what he was getting. Didn't he?

He sighed and a look of complete pain and tired-ness swept over his face. Lucks looked into his eyes and nearly melted. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I'm tired dat's all. Oh, come on, Race, don't gimme dat face..." She whined. "Raaaaace!" He didn't stop looking at her. "Ugh, fine... let's go ta da Lodgin' house an' I'll getcha cleaned up." She rolled her eyes and held his hand, dragging him home.

Once at the Boy Lodging House (which they found empty), Lucks forced him to sit down on his bed while she went to the washroom. She returned with a wet rag.

"Take off ya shirt." She instructed.

Race gave her a look.

"Juss do it you pervert." Race sighed and obliged. Lucks nodded blushed slightly. Race was surprisingly...well... buff. He had abs. He was tan too. Lucks almost had to wipe the drool off her face. "Um... okay... now hold dis ta ya forehead." She instructed, handing him the wet rag. Again, he obliged. So, slowly, she sat down behind him, her short (but slender) legs on either side of his body.

Then, slowly, she placed her hands on his muscular back and began massaging it. She pressed her palms over every curve and circled out every knot. As she did it, Race let out a very audible sigh, causing her to blush harder. Then she moved slightly closer to him. Her hands moved upwards toward his shoulders, and then his neck, and then they felt themselves traveling back downward to his arms.

Lucks felt a tingle of cold on her arm as Race dropped the towel and clutched her hand. He then brought her palm up to his lips and kissed it. Then he slowly began kissing up her arm and to her neck. She fell backwards onto the pillow.

Five minutes went on like this. Silence in the room except for the small, yet audible sighs and moans coming from the bunk bed that Race shared with Blink. Then, Lucks heard something else.

She ignored it at first, until she heard it again. Race kissed her fully on the lips and then she pulled away and put a finger to his. "Shh." She whispered.

Race made a very confused face and Lucks motioned towards the open window. Race slowly got up from on top of her and the two of them made their way to the window.

Two men dressed in black were under the fire escape discussing something very quietly. But not quietly enough.

Lucks and Race both leaned forward to hear what they were saying, but they didn't need to go far.

"Are you hearin' me, Snake?" Said one man in a very thick Italian accent.

"Yes, sir." Replied the other in the same dialect.

"Good. I want da girl dead by tanight, ya hear? Any mistakes and you're gone, dead. _Lei sente?_" The first man said.

Lucks looked at Race for a quick moment, slightly frightened, then her attention was drawn back to the men.

"I hear you, sir." The second man, Snake, said.

"Good. Now Goodnight, Snake. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, the first man left.

Snake looked around for a moment before heading the other direction.

Race looked at Lucks. "Whad'd'ya suppose dat was all about?"

Lucks furrowed her eyebrows and shrugged. Then she looked at the clock on the wall. 6:24. Then she looked at Race and snorted. "Uh... you should pro'lly put ya shirt back on."

Race grinned and walked over to the bed and pulled his shirt back on.

At that moment, the door to the bunkroom swung wide open to reveal Cat and Blink. Both of them were kissing, their shirts nearly off, and Blink's head was completely immersed in a sea of long black hair.

Lucks and Race looked at each other and burst into fits of hysterics. They had completely forgotten about the two Italian men... but would they forget for long?


	4. Chapter IV

**A/N:** Haha, this chapter took FOREVER! And since you all love me, I updating! Read and Review please! Okay, well, since I left you with a cliffhanger-ish-thing, I'm going to leave with more suspense and write this chapter! Yay! Okay, so pretty much (since most get confuzzeled) this is a chapter about what everyone else was doing that day while Lucks was at Coney Island and Race was hung-over, okay? Okay. And besides the suspense part, I needed a way to express my characters a liddle more. So here you have it!

-----------

Central Park was fairly welcoming that day. It was hot, though, so not many people were there. But, at least there were enough to sell twenty newspapers to.

So, at the end of the day, Bow sat on a park bench (the same park bench where Snipeshooter and Skittery had found her five years earlier, but she didn't know that...). Her long, brunette braids hung limply off her shoulders and her head lolled in one direction as the sun went down and she began to fall asleep. The dying sunlight reflected off of her pale face, giving her tired expression a look of serenity. Her cabby hat rested on her lap and her vest was unbuttoned. Her blue suspenders were also hanging from her belt, even though she knew how much Flashbox hated it. Bow's hand-me-down pants from Lucks were rolled up a few times to reveal her dainty, mud stained, feet. And her small, ink stained hands lazily rested at her sides. All together, she looked like someone's porcelain doll who had been carelessly left on the park bench to wither away.

She slowly began to nod off into a slumberland of her own. She loved sleeping, dreaming... long forgotten memories came back to her in her dreams. Memories of her mother and father and nanny and aunts and uncles, her puppy, her dollies, and even... her sister. All that was left of them, however, were her dreams.

When Bow was five years old, her family took her to Central Park for a fourth of July celebration. Her name was Molly back then, but that names was now long forgotten. Anyways, at the park, she spent a wonderful evening marveling over the fireworks and lights. Everyone had a fantastic time... until he arrived.

His name was Briggs, and he was an old, drunken, homeless man. And homeless means that he didn't have any home... or any money. So one day, a certain fourth of July, actually, he stole himself a bottle of whiskey and drank. And drank. Until, finally, he was so drunk that he could barely stand.

Bow and her family were all walking back home, excited and laughing, when Briggs walked by.

"Gimme your money and jewllry and everyth-th-thing." He slurred, holding up a gun.

"Okay, so down, buddy." Bow's dad said and began taking everything they had that was worth something.

Apparently, that wasn't enough. Briggs fired four shots. Once at Bow's mother, once at her sister, once at her dad, and once at her. The fourth bullet missed her as her father jumped in front to protect her. The three of them died that night, while Briggs stumbled away with all of their belongings.

The next morning, Bow was found on the very park bench she was sitting on now, looking much like a forgotten porcelain doll. She had nothing of her past life except the clothes on her back and the bow that held her mothers pearl necklace together. When she awoke, two boys were standing over her, Snipeshooter and Skittery. She would never forget that day... neither would they.

Snipeshooter walked up to the little bench. There she was again. Why was it that he always found her there? He shrugged and walked up. She was asleep. No wonder, it was a hot and tiresome day for him to. He yawned slightly, then snapped himself out of it. He needed something to do.

"Hey Bow!" He greeted loudly, plopping down next to her.

Her head lolled a little more before it quickly bounced up and her eyes blinked open. She squinted and yawned before her eyes came back into focus. She smiled.

"Hiya Snipes! Whadd're we gonna do taday?" She asked perkily, as if she'd never been asleep.

"I dunno. How abouts we goes ta Brooklyn? I was meanin' ta drop off dese shootahs foah Spot." Snipes replied, showing her a few dark marble stones.

Bow marveled over them. "Sounds good ta me!" She chirped.

The two of them stood up and started walking off into the sunset. "Hey, Snipes?" "Yeah?" "When ah ya gonna teach me ta use a sling shot?" "I told ya, Bow, when ya oldah." "I'm old enough!" And thus, the arguing started again.

--

Cat was sitting outside Irving Hall. Her long black hair rolled off her shoulders. Her bright green eyes were fixated on a headline as large tears rolled out of them, running down her pale cheeks and splashing onto the newspaper below.

_**Sane Woman Set Free From Local Institution**_

Cat remembered that 'sane' woman. Her name was Katherine Griffith. She had gotten herself pregnant at age seventeen and was kicked out of her own home to raise her child herself. She gave birth to a daughter named Catrina and then, when Catrina was three, Katherine decided she didn't want her. She left Cat on the street, in the middle of the night when the little girl was sleeping. The next morning, Georgina, then the owner of the newsgirls' lodging house, found the little girl. Katherine attempted to kill herself, but was found by the police and sent to the local mental institution. Cat hadn't seen her since. She never wanted to. And now... they were letting her go?

Someone came up behind her and tapped on her shoulder. Cat let out a shudder and wiped her tears before turning around to find a very smiley Kid Blink. She smiled back, sniffling slightly. "Oh, heya Blink." She stood up and kissed him.

"Heya, Cat. What's up?" He asked, worried. He rubbed her back and led her away from Irving Hall.

Cat shrugged and threw her newspaper in the trash bin. "Nuttin'. Just thinkin'."

Blink nodded. He knew better than to press the matter. He figured he would, instead of getting on her nerves, attempt to cheer her up. "Hey, I heard about dis pahty down neah da Bronx. Wanna crash it?" He grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Cat looked up and him and she grinned too. "Let's go."

So, they chuckled and skipped off to this party, which turned out to be a wedding reception in a small bar/restaurant. They made their way to the bar and ordered two of the most expensive things they could find. Then, after taking a few drinks, the bartender looked them up and down.

"You two gonna pay fa dis?" He growled.

"Nah, put it on da groom's tab." Blink grinned.

"Da ya know da groom's _name_?" The bartender snarled.

Cat and Blink looked at each other, shook their heads, then burst out laughing, hightailing it out of the bar. The bartender chased after them until they were almost all the way down the street. Then, he finally yelled.

"Ya kids ain't got no futcha! Stay outta heah!" He sneered, then he wiped off his brow and began trudging back to his bar.

Cat and Blink stopped to catch their breath. They were both beaming and then they began laughing. Yeah, being a newsie was great stuff.

"So, how d'ya see our futcha, Cat?" Blink asked, still grinning.

Cat shrugged and sat down on a bench. "I dunno. Giggles'll pro'lly end up wit Mush an' dey'll have a dozen kids," she paused, winking, "on accident." She snorted. "Then Lucks will become Race's Italian cookin' wife by day, like he always wanted, and stage performah by nigh', like she always wanted." Cat shook her head and sighed. "Den Spot'll end up gettin' Curly pregnant, so dey _have_ ta end up wit each uddah." This had her chuckling softly to herself. "As fa Flash? She'll be stuck watchin' da lodgin' house all her life if she doesn't juss find a man already, and Fidget will help her. It's juss meant ta be." She looked up at Kid Blink. "Ya know?"

Blink sighed and sat down next to her. Then he looked directly into her eyes. "I'm shoah all does t'ings _will_ happen...but I was tawkin' about um... our futcha." He coughed slightly and looked down at his shoes before looking back at her.

Cat bit her tongue. "Gee... I dunno, Kid. I mean, shoah, I'd love fa us ta be tageddah." She muttered, smiling softly at him. Then her face fell. "But I don' wanna end up like me Muddah." She shifted uneasily.

Blink shrugged. "Hey, look at me." He pulled up her chin to look in her eyes. "Ya won't be like her." He grinned. "Cuz I won't letcha, a'righ'?"

Cat smiled softly again. "How d'_you_ see our futcha, Blink?"

Blink put a hand to his chin, pretending to think about it. "Well, I see kids. Lotsa kids, like five before we're even twenty-five." He grinned goofily.

Cat coughed. "Dat many in dat shorta time?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we could staht now." Blink smirked, kissing her. And then, before they new it, the two of them ended up in the boys lodging house. On Race's bed. They didn't even stop to realize that Race and Lucks were also in the room...

--

Flashbox walked outside the lodging house with her laundry basket. She always got done selling papers early, so she could do the laundry for the girls or pick up the lodging house a bit. She did own it after all.

Georgina, the elderly woman who had owned it before Flash, died three years previous, leaving Flash with everything in her will. Flash used the money to pass bills on the lodging house and buy food and new clothes when needed.

Originally, the lodging house was an orphanage for girls. Georgina opened it when she was young, having a need for helping unfortunate girls. Flash came to it when she was ten, a lonely street rat without a home. She'd ran away from home, unable to deal with every single abusive husband her mother had had (five, not including Flash's father), so she ditched.

Her name used to be Isabel. That name sounded so distant to her now. She had gotten her nickname when she first came to the orphanage. She would always brag about how much the cameras loved her, since she'd been in the paper once for helping an elderly woman. So, the girls started calling her Flashbox and it just stuck.

Then, when Georgina died, she knew she had to give the orphanage to the most charitable person, and she knew Flash would use it wisely.

After the strike, Flash knew that she needed a way to have the girls pay for their stay. She needed money for herself, after all. So, they all became newsies, everyone of them. That's how they all payed for their rent. Five cents a week was all she needed to keep the house up and running.

Now, Flash was hanging up the laundry for all the girls. She felt like their mother, and it made her proud to know that she had people that she cared about more than her mother did about her. It was good to know.

She was very content in pinning up a blouse, humming the tune to 'My Lovey-Dovey Baby' a song that Medda sang so often. Her wavy brown hair was pulled back into a tight, but sloppy bun in the back of her head. She was wearing a baggy shirt and a skirt. A small drip of sweat came off her forehead and she wiped it off. As she came across a shirt that she was possitive was Race's and gave a little chuckle. Normally, that would annoy her, but she was having a good day. So, she began humming again, not a care in the world, she didn't even notice the figure lingering in the shadows a little ways off. Until she smelt the foul scent of cigarette smoke. She looked up from her work to see Jack Kelly, leaning against the brick wall with a smug expression, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"Heya, Flash, I almost didn' see ya." He smirked.

"Shuddup Kelly," She rolled her eyes. "Ya know, I heard smokin' makes kissin' feel like ya lickin' an ash tray." She sneered, attempting to go back to her laundry and ingore him.

"How wouldya know unless ya nevah tried." He continued looking smug. "Why doncha come ovah heah and try?"

Flash scoffed. "Get away from me, Kelly." Then she looked up at him. "An' besides, docha have a goilfriend? Or did she leave ya cuz ya weren' good enough." This time, she smirked.

Jack rolled his eyes at her. He knew she was talking about Sarah. Sarah, Davey, and even little Les were sent away to finishing school once their father got a new job. It wasn't the best thing to happen to Jack. "Nah, she got jealous of my uddah goils." Jack replied quickly.

Flash shook her head. "Yeah, I shoah dat's it." She replied sarcastically. "So, whaddya doin' around heah, anyways, Kelly? Doncha got sumthin' bettah ta do, den bug me?"

"Fortunately fa you, no." He winked. Then he sighed and put out his cigarette. "Actually, I was juss wonderin' if ya seen Skittery come around heah, he wanted ta tawk ta Fidget."

Flash raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Nope, sorry, Kelly, no one came around heah."

"A'righ' t'anks. I'll see ya latah, Flash." He winked, turned around, and walked down the alley and out of sight.

Flash sighed and went back to her laundry. She began humming 'My Lovey-Dovey Baby' again and glanced down the alley way. "An' goochy-goo wit me."

--

Fidget sat lazily on the steps of the court house. Her frizzy brown hair was shoved under a red handkerchief that was now soaking in all of her sweat. Her tanned skin showed signs of freckles under her grey eyes and across her rosy cheeks.

She was normally a quiet person, but when she had to hawk headlines, she would occasionally yell. Since the day had been so hot, she didn't yell. She just walked up to people and ask them, "'Would ya like a pape, ma'me?' Or 'buy a pape, mistah?'. She was so cute, they just felt bad for her and bought one.

Fidget came to the lodging house two years previous. She was one of the few people who still had family, and didn't run away. Her family lived in Buffalo. Both of her parents were still alive. She had an older sister named Violet who had a husband and a daughter. Fidget also had a younger sister named Lily.

As you probably would have guessed, Fidget's name was Rose before she came to the lodging house. Her parents had a thing about flowers. But, her name was changed after arriving. She had gotten her nickname from being quiet, and very shy. Every time someone said something, she'd fidget uncomfortably. So, now she was Fidget.

She had moved to the big city from Buffalo when she was fourteen. Her parents sent her to live on her own and make some money out of it. Violet had done the same thing when she was fourteen, and Lily would too. So, she began living at the lodging house. She worked as a newsie and that was eventually how Flashbox had gotten the idea after the strike.

So, then, there she sat after another long days work. She sighed and rested her chin in her hands.

Then Skittery came up next to her and sat down. "Hey, Fidget." He said quietly, smiling.

Fidget looked up at him and smiled back. Then she looked at her feet and blushed slightly. "Hi, Skitts." She said, though it was so soft she was almost whispering.

"Hey listen," he began, he wasn't one to beat around the bush, "ya know how we always have pokah on Fridays? Well, um... I was juss wonderin' if maybe ya'd wanna come wit me."

She didn't understand. She looked up, confused. "Yeah, shoah, Skitts. I mean, I'll wawk wit ya ta Medda's if ya want me to."

Skitts smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I meant, ya know, we could go tagedduh."

Fidget blushed. "Oh," she said softly, then she looked back down at the ground. "Yeah, I'd like dat, Skitts." She replied softly.

"Good, ya want me ta wawk ya home?" He asked her.

She looked up at him, bit her bottom lip, and nodded. She knew she was blushing, but she couldn't help it.

"Okay." He smiled, then he stood up and held out a hand to help her up.

She hesitantly took it, and they walked off. She smiled to herself. _Maybe some day you'll end up like Vi. _She thought to herself as the sun began to set.

--

Giggles had one paper left. She was walking around a crowd watching a boxing match. She hated blood, and of all the places a girl like her could be... she chose a boxing match?

"Buy me last pape, Mistah?" She attempted to coax one of the spectators.

The man, looking annoyed, shook his head and went back to the match.

"Come on." She smiled sweetly. "A lovely penny fa a lovely lady?" She asked, batting her eyelashes.

The man smiled and gave in, handing her a penny, taking her pape, and went back to the match.

'A lovely lady' wasn't an exaggeration either. Giggles was very lovely. She had curly auburn hair that almost reached her waist. It was turning a lovely shade of red, now that it was summer time and she enjoyed being in the sun. She had tan, soft skin that showed hardly any signs of the tiny freckles across her nose. Her blue-green eyes sparkled in the sunshine as she waited for the day to end.

Then someone wolf whistled. "Look at dat angel. I'm in heaven." Came a voice from the right of her.

Giggles whipped around to find Mush, grinning, a little ways off. "Mushee!" She giggled, running towards him and hugging him tightly.

"Heya Giggles." He smiled sweetly, kissing her. He still had one paper left, but that was nothing.

Then someone whistled behind him. He glared, ready to yell something about Giggles being his and needing to keep their eyes off, but then somebody threw a penny at him. He smiled and threw his paper back.

He turned back to Giggles, who was still giggling. "Ya want me ta wawk ya home?" Mush offered.

Giggles smiled and nodded. The Lodging House felt more to her like her home than her actual home. Her old home was in Boston. She lived in a mansion filled with servants and such. Her parents usually ignored her. Then, when she was almost seven, her house was burnt down, her parents in it. Her and Lucks were the only two who actually shared the same experience. After her parents' deaths, Giggles (then named April) was moved to New York City to live with her Great Uncle Herb. That's when she learned that her Great Uncle Herb had died years before, leaving her with her Great Aunt (by marriage) Georgina. Giggles was fondly nicknamed Giggles, and made great friends with the other girls.

Mush and Giggles walked along the streets of New York. They made their way to the Lodging House as the sun began to sink lower and lower, their arms wrapped around each other.

Giggles had met Mush while getting groceries for the lodging house one day before the strike. He had offered to help her take the bags home and they hit it off ever since then. Mush recalled telling his friends that he'd 'met this goil last night', that was Giggles.

Giggles stood on the front steps that led to the lodging house. She leaned over the railing and gave Mush a goodnight kiss.

"See ya tamarrah, Doll." Mush smiled.

Giggles blushed, blew a kiss and walked inside.

--

Curly watched as the Manhattan leader approached. She groaned, but figured he would do the job, so she strutted up to him. "Heya, Jacky-boy." She said.

Jack looked down at her through the corners of his eyes. Curly didn't like him very much (ever since their little relationship a few years back), he knew that, but now she was talking to him, so he'd figured he'd stay on her side for the time being and talked back. "Heya, Curls."

The two of them continued walking towards the Boys Lodging House. "Ya plannin' on goin' ta bug da goils tanigh', Jack?" She asked.

Jack glanced down at her and put his hands in his pockets. "Acutally, I juss came from dere, why?"

Curly swore in Spanish. See, Curly's mother was from Spain. She immigrated here as a child. Shortly after having Curly, she decided the New York life wasn't for her and moved to Santa Fe, leaving Curly at the orphanage. Curly was given the nickname Curly since she had a head FULL of curls when she was little. That grew out and now she was just Curly, a name without a reason.

"Oh, cuz I was plannin' on goin' ta Brooklyn," she didn't tell him why, "An' I wanted someone ta tell da goils."

Jack nodded. "Well, I could have one of me boys ta go ovah dere. Race my volunteer."

Curly smiled softly. She always had a burning desire to travel to Santa Fe and meet her mother. Maybe that's why Jack and her still got along all these years. "T'anks Jacky-boy. I'll tawk ta ya latah." She smiled, and walked away, putting her hands in her pockets.

Jack smiled too as he watched her tan figure walk away. She was beautiful. Her brown hair, stick straight, mind you, reached her shoulders, but she always had it shoved underneath her hat. Her dark brown eyes were almost black, and always mysterious. Her skin dark, obviously showing off her ancestry. How she picked up the almost Latin accent in her voice, Jack didn't know, but that was only one of Curly's mysteries.

About a half-hour later, Curly found herself walking along the Brooklyn docks until she found the barracks. Two boys were guarding the door. "Burns, Marbles." She nodded at the two of them and they moved out of the way, letting her inside.

She made her way up the creaky staircase, skipping over the holes where the boards were missing. She found a beat up door and knocked. It led to the bedroom of the King of Brooklyn, Spot Conlon himself.

"Yeah?" Came a voice from inside.

Curly felt the pull on her stomach again, like she had to throw-up, but she resisted. She let herself in and spotted Spot Conlon, sprawled on the bed and dawdling with the key around his neck.

Spot looked up at her and smirked. "Heya, Curls, how's it rollin'?" He called.

Curly bit her tongue, ready to cry. She resisted that too and shrugged.

Spot stood up and moved over to her. He shut the door behind her. Then he wrapped his arms around her, holding her from behind, and kissed her neck.

Curly swatted him away and wiggled out of his reach. She crossed the room and looked out the broken window. The view was the moon reflecting off the river.

"'S'a'mattah?" Spot frowned, coming towards her again.

She shuddered. "Spot, we needs ta tawk." She said, staring into his blue eyes.

He continued frowning. "'Bout what?"

"I'm pregnant."


	5. Chapter V

**A/N: **Whoooo! Two chappy's in one night! Beat that! Read and Review and stuff pleases! Note, flashback in _Italiacs_.

-------

That night was a difficult one in the Girls Lodging House. Little girls ran, reckless and screaming, around the bunkroom and washroom. Many tired ones were crying, others were having a water fight in the washroom. The oldest girls were ready to pull their hair out.

"Where's Bow?" Fidget wondered as she braided a younger one's hair.

"Where da heck is Curly!" Cat cried, frustrated, chasing a giggling seven-year-old girl around the rom.

Giggles tucked in a crying five-year-old. She stroked the little girl's hair and shushed until the girl quieted. Then she kissed her forehead and stood.

Lucks smiled and ran a hand through her short blonde hair. "Giggles, you'se'd make a great muddah..." Then, the youngest of the group, a little three-year-old, Cupcake, tugged on Lucks' pants.

Lucks looked down at the girl's dirt smudged face. Her lips were pushed into a pout and tears were running down her cheeks, streaking the dirt.

Lucks kneeled to her level and pushed Cupcake's messy blonde hair behind her ear. "What's da mattah, Sweetie?" She comforted.

Cupcake sniffled. "I fell down an'...an' g-got h-h-huht." She pointed down at her bloody, scraped up knees.

"Oh, ya poor t'ing, Let's get ya fixed up." Lucks picked up Cupcake and carried her into the washroom to wash up and bandage the girl's knees. "Dere. All bettah." Lucks smiled and Cupcake hugged her. Lucks, suprised, hesitantly hugged back.

The two of them were interrupted by a shriek from the bunkroom followed by a mumbled, laughter, and then finally Giggles' voice explaining, "she's in da washroom, Race."

An embarrassed Racetrack walked into the washroom and let out a fake shudder. "Dere's a side 'a' Flash I never wanted ta see... ohh... Gives a whole new meanin' ta da woid 'Flash'." Then he smirked in spite of himself.

Lucks snorted, picked Cupcake off the counter and carried her over to Race. "I told ya ta knock when ya visit aftah eight!"

"Hello beautiful." Race greeted, grinning.

"Heya, Race." Lucks replied, smiling sweetly.

"I wasn't tawkin' ta _you_. I was tawkin' ta dis dollface." Race winked at the small child on Lucks' hip. "What's ya name, Doll?"

Cupcake blushed furiously and muttered her name.

"Cupcake, huh? Well, how's about I call ya Dollface? Juss me an' you, kay? It'll be ours liddle secret."

Cupcake blushed more and nodded before burying her face in Lucks' shirt.

"A'righ', Dollface," Race smiled. "why doncha get ta bed now? When I see'se ya tamarrah, I'm gonna wanna dance, an' I want ya well rested, kay?"

The little girl nodded, Lucks let her down, and she ran into the bunkroom, blushing... but everyone could see the grin on her face.

"Cute kid." Race commented.

"She's too young fa ya, ya know?" Lucks informed him, raising an eyebrow.

Racetrack smiled, still watching the door to the bunkroom. "Ya juss jealous, Lucks, dat's all."

Lucks slapped him playfully. "Yeah, you wish, Higgins." She laughed.

Race laughed too and turned toward her. He grabbed her waist before she ran off and pulled her closer. She pretended to pull away and he planted a kiss on her lips.

"Hey! Lovahboy!" Flashbox interrupted, clearly annoyed.

"Well, hiya, Flash. Good ta see ya got ya nigh' gown on safely." Race grinned.

"Shuddup." She snapped back. "Have ya seen Curly?"

"An' Bow!" Giggles chimed in from the bunkroom.

"An' Bow." Flash nodded.

"Oh yeah!" Race remembered. "Dat's why I'm heah!"

Lucks hit him over the head so he wouldn't have to suffer it from Flash. Besides, she enjoyed abusing him.

"Ow..." He frowned before looking back at Flashbox. "Yeah, Curly went ta Brooklyn ta see Spot. She told Jack ta tell me ta tell you." He smiled, obviously happy to have done his job.

Lucks raised an eyebrow in Cat's direction, thinking of what on Earth Curly could be doing in Brooklyn this late at night. Cat grinned and put a finger to her lips, attempting to shush Lucks' thougts.

"An' I t'ink Bow's wit Snipes sumwheah. He wasn't at da lodgin' house eiddah." Race answered to the second question.

"Sumwheah?" Fidget bit her bottom lip, worried.

"Race, why doncha be a doll an' find da ten-year-old we treat like our sistah." Flash sneered.

"A'righ' den." Race said cheerfully taking his orders. He kissed Lucks softly before letting go of her and walking out of the lodging house. "Ladies." He tipped his hat to a group of giggling thirteen-year-olds before leaving.

The girls replied by giggling some more, blowing kisses, and practically singing, "Nigh' Racetrack."

Lucks almost glared. "Bed time." She growled.

They all looked startled and rushed into their beds. Satisfied, Lucks turned back into the washroom and began brushing her teeth.

--

A half-hour passed without a sign of Racetrack, Bow, or Curly. The older girls were starting to get worried. None of them slept. They just sat on two bottom bunks, Cat, Giggles, and Fidget on one, and Lucks and Flash on the other.

Flash nervously nibbled on her thumb nail as she always did. Lucks sat silently with her quilt wrapped around her. Cat looked carelessly over a paper Flash hadn't sold from the day before. Giggles braided Cat's long black hair. And Fidget lay on the pillow, silent, and stared at the brass of Lucks' bed next to her.

Another half-hour passed, and as the grandfather clock downstairs chimed eleven o'clock, the girls started to panic.

"I'm goin' ta find dem." Lucks announced, standing up and pulling her pants up under her night gown. Then she slid on one of her shirts (which actually turned out to be Race's). The other girls looked startled. She tucked her nightgown and shirt into her pants and pushed her hat over her messy blonde hair.

Before she or anyone else could say anything, the door burst open and Bow came running in. Tears streaked her round face and she pulled Lucks towards the door.

"Bow, slow down! What happened?" Lucks frantically asked the child.

"Screams...Brooklyn...Racetrack yelled!" Bow wailed.

Lucks stopped dead in her tracks. "W-w-what about Race?" She stuttered.

"N-n-no time! G-g-gotta go! Brooklyn!" Bow pulled her sleeve.

"Is Curly huht?" Flashbox jumped out of bed and rushed over, kneeling down to Bow's level.

Bow continued crying. "I dunno! Come on! We gotta go!" Bow grabbed Flash's hand now and pulled her towards the ddoor.

Cat, Fidget, and Giggles ran after them, but Lucks replied where she was at, her feet glued to the floor. She was petrified and all that was going through her mind was the fact that Race could be in Brooklyn... dead.

Giggles glanced back and ran to Lucks' side. "Come on, I'm shoah everythin's all righ', juss sumone playin' a trick 'a' sumthin'." She comforted, taking Lucks' hand. She doubted her own words.

Lucks swallowed hard, nodded, and then allowed Giggles to drag her along. They followed the girls. Flash kept on asking questions, and Bow, hysterical, only answered in fragments.

"I'll go get Jack." Cat volunteered and began running for the Boys Lodging House.

"No! Snipes!" Bow grabbed Cat's arm and pulled her along.

After minutes upon minutes of running after Bow, the girls ended up in Brooklyn. They were standing in an alley way. You could just barely see the docks about twenty paces in front of them, and the moonlight reflected off the dark water.

There were three figures in their sight. All of them were standing. Two were muttering to each other. The third figure was crying on one of the others. Then a fourht figure could just barely be seen. It was laying the ground, face up, not moving at all.

Lucks knew it had to be Race's lifeless body and she shuddered, holding in all of the emotions that wanted to burst out of her own small figure. She felt lifeless herself. She inhaled quickly, but couldn't look away.

Then the position of the moon changed, lighting the standing figures' faces. There was only one face Lucks couldn't take her eyes off of. She ran out of the alley way and onto the docks, nearly toppling over the figure.

Race felt Lucks' arms wrap around his neck, her head rested on his shoulder, tears streaming onto his shirt. Her felt warmth and reassurance that everything would be all right... well, for now, at least. He wrapped his own arms around her shaking body and held her tightly until she pulled away.

She looked him up and down. Racetrack's face held an expression that Lucks couldn't read. His face was soft, but his dark eyes were sad and frightened, something she'd never seen in them.

Then, Lucks noticed his shirt. The middle of it was drenched in blood. She covered her mouth suddenly and looked down to find that her own shirt was bloody too. That meant it was still fresh.

"Are ya huht?" She gasped.

Race solemnly shook his head and nodded to the figure on the ground. Lucks turned around to see a girl, probably no older than herself, dead, with a hole right through her middle. She shuddered and looked away.

Next to her stood Curly, the crying figure that Lucks saw before. She was now crying on Cat's shoulder as the two hugged. Giggles, Fidget, and Flashbox were also crying, holding each other. Bow was sobbing and sniffling next to them, staring at the dead body on the docks.

Spot stood a little ways off, talking to one of his boys, then he walked back to where the others stood. His expression was not a happy one.

Flash sniffled and wiped away her tears. She put on her business face (well, as best as she could), and looked from Race, to Spot, and back to Race. "Whad happened?"

At that moment, Jack Kelly and his gang loudly came onto the docks. "Oi! Whad happened heah?" He called out.

The girls whipped around and Giggles ran into Mush's arms. He held her tightly, confused and tired, and shushed her.

Cat walked over to Blink and sobbed. Blink was also confused, but not as tired as Mush, and held her, kissing her forehead and wondering.

Fidget hurried over to Skittery, unable to control her crying. He looked shocked, and also confused, seeing as all the boys were, and took her hands in his own. He kissed her cheek and gave her a small hug, rocking her back and forth until she stopped crying.

Bow ran to Snipeshooter, violently wiping the tears off her cheeks. Like she was actually going to cry in front of him. No. Then Snitch called out to her. "Bow, cummere." She looked up at Snitch, and went over. He kneeled to her level and wiped the tears off her cheeks. Then he hugged her. "Everythin's gonna be okay."

Curly followed the rest of the girls and hugged Bumlets, then Swifty, Specs, and Dutchy. She watched Jack and he waltzed over to Race, Spot, Flash, and Lucks.

"Whad happened heah?" Jack repeated, looking at the dead girl on the ground. He was definitely as tired and confused as the others... with a little more anger.

"Kelly, seddle down." Flash spat, obviously annoyed. "We're all juss as scared as you are."

"I ain't scared." Jack sneered.

"Hey, hey, hey, quiet down, will ya? I don' want da bulls comin' around heah again." Spot grumbled. "Jack-boy, why don' _you_ getcha boys, and Flash getcha goils and go ta da barracks an' sit down." He said, attempting not to shout in their faces. "I'll meetcha in dere aftah I do sum stuff out heah. Den we'll tawk when everyone," he looked directly at Jack, "composes demseleves."

Then, Spot walked away to talk to some of his boys.

"Spot's right, let's go." Race said, wrapping his arm around Lucks' waist and kissing her on the forehead.

Jack rolled his eyes and walked over to his boys. "Come on, everyone inside da barracks, let's go."

"Come on, ladies." Flash said, glaring at Jack.

The boys and girls followed their two leaders into the Brooklyn barracks. They all went into a large room downstairs. There were two large windows, both of them broken, their drapes tattered. When the wind blew, it made an eerie noise and trailed through the room, causing each and everyone of them to shiver. On the wall opposite the windows, there was a tattered old couch that emitted a musty smell every time someone sat down.

Jack and Flash stood at opposite sides of the room, Flash by a window, Jack by the couch, and they glared at each other. Lucks stood, her arms wrapped around Race and his around her. Every time she'd shiver, he'd hold her closer and she'd kiss him softly. Mush and Giggles were doing the same, and Cat and Blink. Fidget's crying had subsided to sniffles and she held Skittery's hand cautiously. Bow was now shaking violently, her teeth chattering. Snipes, being the brotherly type, rubbed her arms, causing friction and making her warm. He hoped it'd help. Curly was muttering to Itey that she thought she'd be okay, and then she had started crying again and he hugged her. Other than that, everyone was silent.

It seemed like hours before Spot finally arrived. When he did, everyone jumped as he came into the room. The wood creaked under him as his black boots tapped on the floor. His cane was still in his belt loop and it tapped almost silently against his side as he walked. The key around his neck made a small _'thump-thumping_' noise against his chest. As it caught the light, it gleamed and reflected off the walls. The light hit him only once, revealing the blood on his shirt and hands. He stopped in the dead center of the room and looked around.

"Race," he started, though he wasn't looking at Racetrack, he was looking at Curly. "Will ya be so kind ta tell us whad happened?" Then he looked at Race.

Race nodded, sighed, let go of Lucks, and began to tell his story.

--- _(cue flashback) ---_

_Racetrack Higgins walked into Brooklyn, not a care in the world. He had a job, to retrieve Curly and Bow and make sure they arrive home safely. He was walking along the Brooklyn bridge and he looked down into the icy waters. He smiled to himself and continued walking._

_He was on the docks now, and almost at the Brooklyn barracks, no sign of Bow or Snipeshooter. Then, suddenly, something he'd never expected to see in Brooklyn, was standing right in front of him... in Brooklyn._

_A girl, a young girl, about Lucks' age, maybe a little older, was staring into the darkness in front of her, looking afraid and lost. "Excuse me, Miss," Race tipped his hat to her. "Can I help you?"_

_She raised a thin eyebrow. She had long, dark hair, tanned skin (though that couldn't be seen in the darkness), and dark eyes. She looked confused at Race. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you." She said, though she spoke in thick Italian. Race understood every word._

_"I said, can I help you?" He repeated, though this time in Italian._

_"Yes, I'm a little lost. I'm supposed to be staying with people in..." She replied, looking down at a scrap of paper and squinting. She was having trouble seeing it in the dark, obviously. "The Bronx." She finished in American._

_Race nodded. "I can help ya. You see those two buildings." He pointed at two just behind her._

_Then she turned around. That moment seemed to have lasted forever to Race. He watched it all as though it were in slow motion. As she began to turn, there was a voice yelling, "Now, Snake?" It was also in Italian. "Now." And then _BOOM

_The girl was shot in the ribs. She turned around quickly, fell forward onto Racetrack and then she fell to the ground, dead._

_Race heard a scream (obviously a girl's) from the barracks. "Sumbody get help!" He yelled to no one in particular as he leaned down to make sure the girl was dead. After he said it, he heard footsteps running, echoing through an alley way._

_Seconds later, Spot, Curly, and a few of the Brooklyn boys could be seen on the docks. Spot and Race began to talk, Curly was already crying on Spot. More and more Brooklynite's came onto the docks. Then the girls arrived, and finally, Jack and the boys._

_-- (end flashback) --_

After Race finished telling the story, he looked around the room. Another breeze came in and he shuddered.

"Race, ya said sumone yelled 'Now Snake?' in Italian?" Flashbox asked, trying to get all the facts straight.

Race nodded and then looked straight into Lucks' eyes. Snake was the name of one of the Italian men outside the lodging house window that afternoon. Something was going on.

Jack turned on Spot. "So, Spot, where's dis Snake, fellah? He residin' heah?"

"Shuddit, Kelly." Spot hissed.

"Boys!" Curly came out in between them. "Can we stop, please? Ain't we tryin' ta figyah sumthin' out?" She stared at Jack, her eyes pleading, and then at Spot, the look on her face changed, however, to anger. Both of the boys were silent.

"Does anyone know anyt'in' about dis 'Snake' poison?" Cat asked, looking around the room. note: poisonperson

Lucks opened her mouth to say something, but caught Race's stare and her face fell. She shook her head and looked at the ground.

Giggles yawned loudly, and then uncomfortably shifted in Mush's arms.

Spot looked around the room. Everyone looked so tired. He himself was ready to fall asleep. "I don' t'ink ya should go home tanigh'." He stated, looking directly at Curly.

"Spot's righ', it's pro'lly not safe." Curly glared at him slightly, before looking around the room.

"You'se can all stay heah tanigh'." Spot offered, scratching his head. "We'll investigate moah in da mornin'." He glared at Jack.

"But whadda bout my goils." Flash sighed.

Everyone was silent, thinking. Jack had other boys back at the lodging house, but they could take care of themselves.

"I'll go." Lucks piped in, quietly. Everyone was silent.

"Ya can't go by yaself." Fidget muttered.

"I'll go wit her." Race said, wrapping a protective arm around her waist.

"Dat such a good idea, Race?" Spot raised an eyebrow.

"I can take care 'a' myself." Race furrowed his eyebrows. "We'll watch out, a'righ'?" He then turned soft and looked at Flash, as if to ask for her permission.

Flash walked over to them and hugged Race. Genuinely _hugged_ Racetrack Higgins. "Don' let my goils get huht, Race." She whispered, ready to cry again. She was so afraid to even look outside of the barracks. Then she hugged Lucks and kissed her on the forhead. "Dat means dis one too." She sighed and looked Race directly in the eye.

Race smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'll take care 'a' dem Flash, donchoo worry. It's only fa a nigh' anyways." He grinned.

Lucks bit the inside of her mouth. The other girls came over and hugged her and told her to be careful. The boys came over and shook Race's hand. He felt as though he was going on a big adventure and would never come back, even though he was only walking to Manhattan.

Then they all parted their ways and Lucks and Race walked, hand-in-hand, to the Girls Lodging House. They made it safely there, not one single bit of trouble, to find that every single girl there was asleep.

"See, I toldya dey'd be fine." Race grinned and kissed Lucks on the forehead, attempting to lighten the mood. Then, with the flickering laps, he looked down at himself, and then at Lucks. "Ya don't happen ta have anythin' I can change into?"

Lucks smiled and walked over to the trunk on the foot of her bunk. She opened it up to reveal another one of Race's shirts. "Ya leave dese heah a lot." She smirked.

Race laughed and stripped out of the blood stained shirts, pulling on the new ones. "Well, if you'd stop takin' dem offa me." He grinned.

Lucks shrugged. "What can I say? Ya hot."

"I know." He chuckled. Then, Lucks began to take off her own shirt (which he knew was his anyways) and her pants. He blushed slightly and looked away.

"Ya _can_ look, ya know? I'm still wearing my nigh' gown." Lucks pointed out, rolling her eyes. She took the two blood stained shirts and put them in the washroom, then she came back and blew out all the lamps but one, on the far side of the room.

She sat on her bed and pulled the covers up over her feet. The window let in a cool breeze and she shivered. She pulled the covers up past her chin and stared at Race. He was laying down on the bed next to her, staring back.

"I was really scared, Race." She whispered, choking back a tear.

Race nodded. "Me too."

The breeze blew in again and she shivered. She brushed her nose passed her knees and started to cry. Race got out of his bed, pulled up her covers to he could get under them, and he held her. The two of them fell back onto the pillow and he held her as she cried.

--

**End Note: **Okay, so how ya liking the drama, huh? This fic is FAR from over, just remember that. And don't you love it how I left you with the 'I'm pregnant' thing at the end of the last one... oooooooo! Spot kept staring at Curly, maybe that'll give you some hint as to what he thinks about it. As for that and Curly and Jack's previous relationship...I'll fill ya in more later! hahaha! Have fun kiddies! Read and review! I'm out! Lucks ; )


	6. Chapter VI

**A/N:** Ha! I got the Lion King on Broadway soundtrack with Maxie Casella! I love him! haha, just had to tell you all that! Check it out if you haven't heard it. He rocks the everything! Oh, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. I'm at my mom's work so it's just kind of coming out of nothing, loL! Read and review please!

Lucks woke the next morning to yelling, which she was used to. But then again, the yelling she was used to was a very tired Flashbox screaming, "CARRY THE BANNER! COME ON LADIES!" The voice she was hearing now was one that she was sure came from a short Italian named Racetrack Higgins. In fact, as she sat up, she saw the voice _did_ come from a short Italian named Racetrack Higgins. She smiled.

"Come on, ladies. Inta da washroom. Let's go. Carry da bannah. Don't wanna be late!" Race yelled as the large group of girls ran into the washroom, all of them blushing from head to toe.

As Cupcake came running through the room, Racetrack stopped her. He got down to her level and smiled. "Heya, Dollface." She blushed. "I do believe ya owe me a dance." Cupcake nodded, her face was beet red. "Good." He picked her up and rested her on his hip. "Do ya like ta Tango?" He smiled, he took her hand and tango-ed with her all the way down to Lucks' bed, where he turned to wink at her, and then he took Cupcake all the way back to the washroom door, humming all the way. The little girl giggled and Race chuckled. "Dat was excitin', we should do it again sumtime." He set her down and she ran into the washroom.

As Race turned around, he was nearly knocked over by a thirteen-year-old. "Hi, Racetrack." She smiled.

"Heya." Race smiled. Then he glanced at Lucks, she was beginning to walk towards him. He smirked and turned back to the girl. "Is it yoah turn?"

"No, I do believe it's mine." Came Lucks' voice as she came up next to Race.

Race smiled. "Sorry, doll." He shrugged at the thirteen-year-old. She rolled her eyes and walked away.

Lucks grinned. Race turned to her. "Ya wanna dance?" He took her hand in his and placed his other hand on her waist. Then he pulled her closer and dipped her.

Lucks laughed. "Come on, Race, put me down, willya?"

"Like dis?" He pretended to let go of her.

She shrieked and clutched to his shirt. "No, not like dat!"

He chuckled and picked her back up, then he began dancing with her around the room. The two of them were laughing in no time and they both collapsed on her bed.

_Knock knock!_

Lucks sat upright and ran to the door. A newsie stood on the top stair, he was tall (well, everyone was taller than Lucks, but he was taller than that) with broad shoulders and a stone face. "Yes?" Lucks raised an eyebrow. Race came to join her and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Spot sent me ta getchoo two. 'E says ya needs ta tawk ma about lass nigh'."

Lucks looked up at Race. He nodded to the other boy. "We'll be righ' dere."

The boy nodded, tipped his hat to them, and left.

Race turned around and headed into the washroom. Lucks chuckled and ran after him. "Race, ya don't wanna do dat." She wheeled him around and went into the washroom herself. All the girls were in their, getting ready for the day. The reason Race 'didn't want to do that' was because half of the girls were changing their clothes.

"All 'ight Ladies!" Lucks yelled. "Let's get a move on! The presses ah rollin'!"

"Hey, Lucks," one of the older girls asked.

"Yeah?"

"Wheah's Flash an' da uddahs?" Asked another.

"Dey had business in Brooklyn. Dey'll be back latah." She replied. "Let's go, let's go, let's go! Get a move on!"

And within the next five minutes, all the girls in the place zoomed out of the lodging house, flying passed Race. A couple of them stopped to let out a flirtatious "Bye, Racetrack." Finally, no one was left but Lucks and Race. She looked at him and then down at herself. He was already dressed... she wasn't.

"Turn around," She said flattly, grabbing her clothes out of the drawer.

"Why?" Race smirked.

Lucks threw her hat at him. "Do it."

Race chuckled, but turned around like a gentlemen while she changed her clothes. When she was finished, she walked up to him and they linked arms. He took her hat and shoved on her head, and they made their way to Brooklyn.

--

It was eerie to wake-up in Brooklyn. That's what Giggles decided as she sat in that same room in the lodging house, Mush's arms wrapped around her. A thick fog was settling in, and that same chilling breeze came in through the windows. The room had no lights in it, and so the pale light of the rising sun came in through the windows, though you coudln't see it much because of the fog.

Cat was asleep, her black locks hung limply off of Blink's shoulder. He was close to falling back asleep as well, the eye that could be seen was drooping as his head was lolling up and down. Both of them were seated on the torn couch next to Mush and Giggles.

Bow was asleep on the couch next to Blink, her head was rested on the arm and her body was stretched out next to her. Snipes sat next to the couch, his head resting on the side, he also slept.

Most of Jack's boys were sitting along the wall, all of them ready to go back to sleep as well. After all, they had all gone to sleep rather late the night before, and now they were woken up at the crack of dawn.

Fidget was in a dazed state, her eyes fixated on the ground near her's and Skittery's feet. She took a deep breath and sighed, resting her tangled mess of brown curls on his shoulder. He sighed too and started playing with a loose thread on his shirt.

Curly was in the washroom. She had told Flashbox that she didn't feel well, and then went directly into the washroom. She hadn't come out since.

Flash was now standing near the doorway of the room, talking to Jack. Her hands were crossed over her chest. He was leaning against the doorway, listening intently, but without enthusiasm, and he also had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Jack, listen... about las' nigh'..." She began, her voice was low so no one in the room could hear her.

"Yeah, whad about it, Flash?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry." Flash looked down at the ground.

"What?" He continued looking at her, doubtful that he was hearing her correctly.

"I'm sorry, a'righ'? I'm sorry dat we were _both_ jerks ta eachuddah." She looked up at him, emphasing 'both' with everything she could.

Jack sighed and nodded. "Yeah, well, I guess I'm sorry too."

"Really?" This time she raised an eyebrow.

"Do I hafta repeat meself, Flash?" He asked, annoyed.

Flash let a soft smile escape her lips. "No."

Spot was outside, whispering to his boys, giving them instructions that no one else knew about. They nodded and left. Spot peered through the fog and saw two figures approaching on the docks. They were both hugging each other and shivering slightly. It must've been Lucks and Race. He motioned for them to follow him and he made his way back into the barracks.

Footsteps could be heard just outside the room and everyone the room jumped. Then Spot appeared in the doorway, just as he had done the night before. Flashbox and Jack moved out of his way. Jack absently put a hand on her lower back to make sure she didn't run into him. All the breath rushed out of her for a quick second.

Spot looked around the room. "Where's Curly?" He raised an eyebrow.

Flash took a moment to catch her breath before saying. "She's upstairs, said she didn't feel good."

Spot's face fell suddenly before going stone cold again. He needed to keep his cool. He nodded. "Will sumone go get her?"

Fidget nodded and stood up. "I will." She said. As she passed Spot, she lowered her face so he couldn't see her. She didn't know why, though. Somehow, everyone felt that since they weren't in their domain anymore, Spot was incharge. They all felt like subjects to a king. Spot did that to people.

After Fidget's footsteps faded away upstairs, two more sets approached the room. All eyes were on the doorway as Lucks and Racetrack stepped into the room. Their once happy faces turned solid after setting foot in the mess of fog. They too came into the room.

There were mutters and mumbles all around the room. Everyone afraid to speak to loudly. Spot was silent. Race whispered one thing into Lucks' ear and then they were both silent. Flashbox had a confused expression on her face and she turned to mutter something to Jack. He shrugged and she turned back around to look at Spot. Slowly, Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Then, Fidget and Curly came into the room. Fidget looked very worried, Curly looked weak, as though something had taken all the energy out of her body.

Fidget helped her into the room. Curly touched Fidget's arm to say 'Thank you', and walked to Spot. She gave him a small glare as he wrapped his arm around her waist, but then she decided she needed something to protect her from falling over, so she scooted closer to him.

Fidget went to sit next to Skittery. "What happened?" He whispered. She shrugged. "I found her in da washroom. She was asleep." Skittery nodded and she went back to resting her head on his shoulder.

"So, now that everyone's here." Spot said, looking around.

"Whadd're we gonna tawk about?" Giggles asked.

"Yeah, we a'ready hoid Race's story." Mush agreed.

Spot looked down at Curly. "Dere was anuddah poison who witnessed it."

Curly looked directly into his grey eyes and then she sighed, looking down at the ground.

"Curls?" Lucks asked, walking over to her friend and taking her hand. "Please tell us yoah side 'a' da story."

Curly nodded and cleared her throat. Lucks stepped away and went back to Race. Everyone went silent. "I was heah, as you all know. Me an' Spot were tawkin' t'ings ovah." She looked up at Spot. She didn't want to tell the rest of them, she didn't feel she had to. "Den I decided ta leave, get back home, ya know. When I see Race tawkin' ta dis goil. I heard all dese people tawkin' in Italian, like Race said, and den it happened." She looked over at Race and his face fell. "I didn't know what ta do, I couldn't think... I couldn't do anythin', so I juss screamed." She looked around the room now, everyone had solemn expressions. "Den I heard Race call fa help, and a couple 'a' Spot's boys heard me and ran down dere. Den Spot came out." She shrugged. "Dat was it."

Everyone was still silent, waiting for Spot to say something, but he didn't. So, instead, Jack said something. "Didya heah anythin' when you were wit Spot, before?"

Curly looked up and shook her head. "Nuttin'. Like I said, we were tawkin' t'ings ovah, so I couldn't really heah anythin' else dat was goin' on."

"Spot, do ya t'ink any of ya boy's hoid anythin'?" Lucks suggested.

Spot shook his head, he'd already asked most of them. Then, Curly began to panic. Had they heard her and Spot's argument? Is that why they hadn't heard anything going on outside? Everything came flying back to her.

_--- (cue flashback) ---_

_Curly walked into the barracks that night and made her way up the creaky staircase, skipping over the holes where the boards were missing. She found a beat up door and knocked. It led to the bedroom of the King of Brooklyn, Spot Conlon himself._

"_Yeah?" Came a voice from inside._

_She felt the pull on her stomach again, like she had to throw-up, but she resisted. She let herself in and spotted Spot Conlon, sprawled on the bed and dawdling with the key around his neck._

_Spot looked up at her and smirked. "Heya, Curls, how's it rollin'?" He called._

_Curly bit her tongue, ready to cry. She resisted that too and shrugged._

_Spot stood up and moved over to her. He shut the door behind her. Then he wrapped his arms around her, holding her from behind, and kissed her neck._

_Curly swatted him away and wiggled out of his reach. She crossed the room and looked out the broken window. The view was the moon reflecting off the river._

"'_S'a'mattah?" Spot frowned, coming towards her again._

_She shuddered. "Spot, we needs ta tawk." She said, staring into his blue eyes._

_He continued frowning. "'Bout what?"_

"_I'm pregnant."_

_Spot's mouth fell open. "Say dat again?"_

_"I'm pregnant, Spot. An' don't pretend ya didn't heah me, cuz I know ya did." She spat. Her stomach lurched again and she fluttered her eyelashes, trying to keep in the tears._

_"You gotta be jokin' me, Curls. Dis ain't very funny." He said, moving away from her._

_"I ain't jokin', Spot." She growled, her hormones getting the best of her. A tear trailed down her cheek._

_Spot looked up at her and then quickly turned away. "How far..."_

_"Two months, I t'ink." She replied. She walked over and sat on the bed._

_"Two months?" Spot thought about it. He didn't remember that. "How could dat be, Curls?" His face began turning pink, though it could barely be seen._

_"I dunno, Spot, you tell me." She glared up at him, raising her voice. Then she muttered something in Spanish._

_Spot was angry now. No one raises their voice to Spot Conlon. "Was it Kelly?" He hissed._

_Curly was appalled. She was going to jump right back at him. "Whad if it was, huh, Spot? Whad if it was?" She hissed._

_Spot glared. "Don't mess wit me, Curly. Dis is serious."_

_Curly jumped up from the bed, got right in Spot's face and yelled. "I'm not kiddin', Spot! Okay? Dis is not somethin' to kid about!" And with that, she slapped him across the face and stormed downstairs and out the door._

_She looked up to see Racetrack talking to a girl that she'd never seen before. "Great." She muttered, frantically wiping the tears out of her eyes. Then, she heard yelling in an odd language, probably Italian. And then... _boom._ She saw the girl's body fall limply to the ground and she screamed._

_"Sumbody get help!" Race called._

_Some of the Brooklyn boys heard the scream and dashed out onto the docks. Spot came out. He looked at the scene, then at Curly._

_"I'm so sorry." She whimpered._

_He hugged her, but didn't make eye contact. Then the two of them headed to the docks._

_--- (end flashback) ---_

"Curls? Ya okay?" Giggles asked, shaking Curly out of her daze.

"Huh?" Curly looked around the room. Spot, Jack, Racetrack, Mush, and Skittery were all huddled around, talking things over. All the other boys were asleep. Giggles, Fidget, Lucks, and Flashbox were around her. "Um... yeah, I think I'll be fine." She smiled. Her stomach lurched and she winced slightly. "I'll be okay." She reassured them. Or was it herself?

---

**End Note: **Okay, so this was kind of short, and mainly about Curly, but hey, that's the way things roll! I actually liked how it turned out, I hope you did too. And, is that a relationship forming between Jack and Flash... or just a friendship? hmm... More about the Curly and Jack relationship later also. Please review! I love reviews!


	7. Chapter VII

**A/N:** Long time, no chapter, huh? Wait... Updated: 6-14-06. Okay, so _really_ long time no chapter. But it's all good, cuz I love you all and I'm updating! Yay! So, read and review and stuff!

---

_Curly was walking through Manhattan. She carried a basket of lettuce and other vegetables. She had just gotten back from an errand in Queens._

_It was night in late September. A small breeze blew through the air, blowing around the first fallen leaves of the season. Curly tightened her shawl around her shoulders._

"_Can I wawk ya home?" Someone whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. She turned around and smiled up at the grinning man behind her._

"'_A' course." She nodded and began walking towards the Girl's Lodging House._

_Jack Kelly walked beside her, his hands in his pockets. "So, how ya been Curls?"_

"_Since lass nigh'?" Curly asked him back, raising an eyebrow cockily._

_Jack smirked. "Yeah, since lass nigh'."_

_Curly shrugged. "I can get bettah." She looked up into Jack's chocolate brown eyes and laughed._

_He rolled his eyes and shook his head, chuckling._

_She sighed and looked down at the ground. "I love ya, Jack." She said. She could feel him boring holes into her. She fidgeted uncomfortably and looked back up at him to see that he was no longer looking at her. "Jack?"_

_Jack cleared his throat. Then he looked back down at her. "I love ya too, Curls."_

_Curly's face lit up and she dropped the vegetables, wrapping her arms around Jack Kelly's neck._

_Jack grinned and kissed her._

_The moon was bright in the starless, cloudless night. The heads of lettuce rolled around on the dusty ground. And Curly and Jack were happy in each other's arms._

---

"T'anks, Fidg." Curly said, wiping her face off on a towel.

Fidget shot Curly a worried look. "Wha's wrong witcha, Curls?" She asked softly, biting her bottom lip.

Curly's face fell. She knew she could trust Fidget with her secret, but she didn't want to tell anyone right now, especially not Jack.

Fidget took one of her friends hands and squeezed it.

Curly looked up. She sighed and nodded. "I'm pregnant." She confessed, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Fidget's mouth fell open and she immediately wrapped her arms around Curly's body. She held her friend in her arms as she shook and cried...

---

"Race, can I tawk ta ya?" Lucks asked from her position on the floor. She had protested her way into staying in Brooklyn while all the others left. Now it was just the three leaders, the two witnesses, and Lucks. Fidget had also stayed for a moment to run after Curly as she rushed into the bathroom.

Racetrack turned around from talking to Jack about the races. A cigar hung limply out of the side of his mouth and he nodded. "Wha's'mattah, Lucks?" He asked, walking over to her and holding out his hand.

Lucks took it and allowed him to help her up. She wiped off her pants and frowned. "It's about da othah day... at da lodgin' house-"

Race put a hand to her mouth and pulled her into the hallway. "Dis is about Snake ain't it?"

Lucks nodded, afraid. She swallowed. "Why can' we tell 'em, Race?" She whispered.

Race stared at her and contemplated whether or not to tell her. Lucks caught it and glared. "But if ya can' tell me, I undahstand. It's fine, Racetrack, I don' need ta know." She turned on her heal and began to walk back into the front room of the barracks.

Race sensed he did something wrong right away. Lucks never called him 'Racetrack' while she was glaring, unless she was angry. He grabbed her hand to stop her from walking out of the room.

Lucks wheeled around. "Ya gonna tell me now?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip. She pulled her other hand out of Race's.

"Ya real manipulative, ya know dat?" Race grumbled.

Lucks grinned. "Yeah, I know. Now tell me." She bit her bottom lip. "Why can' we tell 'em?" She asked.

Race sighed and looked Lucks up and down. Then he stared at the ground below her dirty, bare feet. "He's my uncle..."

"WHA?" Lucks exclaimed. Race covered her mouth again and pulled her farther away from the others. "Shh!" He exclaimed.

"What?" Lucks whispered, eyes wide open. "Snake is ya uncle?" She swallowed hard.

Race shook his head. "No, Sal. Well, he's not my actual uncle, but he's my uncle."

"Who?" Lucks raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Sal. The othah voice we hoid, remembah?"

Lucks nodded.

Race stared at her, waiting for any other reactions.

"Ya uncle's a murderah?" She whispered.

---

Flashbox stood in the cold room, her arms wrapped around herself. She was still wearing her nightgown with a robe over the top of it. She was chewing nervously on her thumb nail. Jack and Spot were next to her, not saying a word.

Fidget walked into the room, holding a sobbing Curly. Flash looked up and hurried over to her two girls. "What happened?" She asked immediately. Fidget pulled her further away from the boys.

"Is she sick? Curls? Do ya t'ink ya have da flu or somethin'?" Flash questioned, worried.

Curly shook her head and sniffled.

"Den what's'mattah?" But before either one of the girls answered, Lucks came into the room, followed by Racetrack. Both of them had sullen looks on their face. Lucks looked up and hurried over to the girls.

"Wha' happened?" She asked, grabbing Fidget's hand and giving it a squeeze. Then she walked over and hugged Curly, taking her sobbing body off of Fidget's.

"She's pregnant." Fidget said softly, almost choking.

Lucks' hand flew to her mouth as Curly's sobs grew louder. Flash's eyes widened. And Fidget looked at the ground nervously.

Flashbox took Curly in her arms this time. She shushed her and rocked her back and forth like a mother would to her infant. She was on the brim of bursting into tears, but she didn't. She was happy, but also very afraid for her friend. All of them were.

Lucks covered her face and stood right where she was. Race walked over and put an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shirt, shaking it continuously.

"Wha's'mattah?" Race asked, kissing the top of her head.

Lucks looked up at him. She stood on her tip-toes to whisper in his ear.

"What?" He asked, confused.

Lucks rolled her eyes and mouthed 'Curly's pregnant.' Again, he raised an eyebrow. "Are ya deaf?" She hissed. "Curly's pregnant."

"Curly's pregnant?" He exclaimed. Lucks glared and punched his arm. Then she turned to the room...

Flash was giving Race a cold look. Fidget was staring at the ground. Curly was sobbing harder. Spot's look was also cold, but not in Race's direction. Instead it was in Curly's... and Jack looked confused.

"Wha'?" He asked, walking over to Curly. "Curls?"

Curly turned, wiped her tears and nodded.

"How long are ya?" Race asked. Lucks shot him another look.

Curly walked over and put a hand on Lucks' arm. "Two months." She whispered, looking over at Jack. And then at Spot who was glaring at Jack.

"Well, congratulations." Racetrack grinned, pulling Curly into a hug.

This caused her to laugh for the first time in since the night before. She hugged him back. Lucks rolled her eyes, but smiled. Fidget let a little smile slip onto her thin lips. And Flash started to cry, out of happiness this time.

Spot continued to glare at Jack, and then Curly, and then the floor. His face stayed cold, his deep blue eyes boring holes into the ground.

Jack's expression was cold as well, but for a different reason. Suddenly he felt very sick and everything from that night came rushing back to him. Well... not everything, but most of it.

_--- (cue flashback) ---_

_The little corner of Medda's was cigar smoke and the foul stench of alcohol. It was Kid Blink's birthday, and since it was, Medda had extra drinks ordered for her boys (and girls)._

_Jack Kelly sat at the table, taking another swig of the vile drink. He couldn't even taste it anymore._

_Flashbox, absolutely repulsed, sat next to Fidget and Giggles on a nearby table._

_The King of Brooklyn, who normally participated in the weekly event, had business in his kingdom and had to leave early._

_Curly was sitting at the poker table, her feet up, giggling insanely with Cat. Blink had his arm wrapped around Cat's neck as he kissed it, causing her to giggle more._

_Specs and Dutchy sat next to Blink, smacking each other upside the head, much to the amusement of Skittery. Jack sat next to Skittery, attempting to hold a conversation with Racetrack, who was very annoyed that his poker game hadn't turned out as he planned... and because Lucks wouldn't allow him to drink. Lucks was now between Race and Curly, half-asleep on Race's shoulder._

"_All righty, boys, time ta head home," came the voice of a familiar stage hand, Toby. "Don' let da bulls catch ya with the stench on ya breath. We don' wanna be bailin' ya out 'a' jail. Come on, guys."_

_Jack stood up and steadied himself on the table. "All righ', boyzzzz." He slurred, recieving a glare from Flashbox._

_Race stood up, taking over. "Let's go, come on, time to go."_

_Mush, who was also sober, stood up and yawned, helping Giggles off the table. "Race? Can you handle dese guys?" He asked, raising an eyebrow._

_Race rubbed his forehead and sighed._

"_I'll help 'im." Lucks yawned, rubbing her eyes. She gave Mush a reassuring smile and he nodded, walking Giggles out of the building._

"_Come on boys, move it!" Lucks exclaimed as the boys were getting up._

"_Oh look guys, it's Lucks. We're gonna need sumone ta tuck us in..." Dutchy grinned, waggling his eyebrows._

"_Yeah, an' ya bettah shut-up befoah I dislocate ya face," Lucks smirked._

"_Harsh words, Lucksies, harsh." Specs pouted._

_Lucks rolled her eyes and pushed the two of them out the door. They leaned on each other for support. Race pushed Skittery along with them and sighed._

_Lucks smiled and patted his arm. Then she turned around to find Cat and Blink, making out. "Race?" She asked._

_He turned around and shrugged. "It's Blink's boithday. I figyah 'e deserves somet'in' othah den t'rowin' up."_

_Lucks nodded and shrugged and they left the couple alone. Then walked out of Medda's, hands in their pockets. Lucks rested her head on Race's shoulder._

_Then someone came up behind her and spun her around into a kiss. She pulled away, shrieking. She looked up to see a completely drunk Jack Kelly with a goofy grin on his face. She glared._

"_Ya look great, Lucks. I mean, great. Real, real cute, ya know?" He grinned._

"_Yeah, I know, Jacky-boy." She rolled her eyes._

_Race sat back, watching the whole thing with amusement._

"_No, like real, real cute..." He slurred._

"_Yeah, don' I always, Jack?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking._

"_Don' t'ink so highly 'a' yaself, Lucksies." Curly walked up, running a hand through her long hair._

_Lucks rolled her eyes._

"_Come on, you guys." Race interrupted. He grabbed Jack's arm and pushed his leader in front of him. Lucks did the same for Curly._

"_Race, I'm tired..." Lucks yawned._

"_Okay, go home, I'll handle dese guys." Race kissed her forehead._

_Lucks nodded. "Make shoah Curls gets home." She gave Race a kiss goodnight and headed off towards the Girl's Lodging House._

_Up ahead, Curly was leaning on Jack for support. She looked back and noticed that Lucks and Race were no longer looking, and she pushed Jack into an alley way._

"_Wha'ddya doin', Curlzzzz?" He asked, grinning._

_Curly kissed him. "Remembah dat one nigh', Jacky-boy?" She asked, unbuttoning his shirt._

"_Befoah we said 'I wuv ya'?" Jack asked, smirking._

"_Yeah, dat." Curly pulled off his shirt and kissed him again._

_And the rest was history..._

_--- (end of flashback) ---_

"Jack? Ya okay?" Flash asked, placing a hand on his arm. He shook out of her reach.

"Yeah, fine." He cleared his throat and stared at Curly who stared back at him. He sighed and stared at the floor.

"Well, dere hasn' been any moidahs yet. Maybe you should all leave." Spot said, glaring at Jack.

"Yeah, let's go ya guys," Race nodded and grabbed Lucks' hand.

"No." Jack said, turning around. He glared at Spot.

"Wha's'mattah, Jacky-boy? Huh? Somet'in' come up dat you can' fahget? Somet'in' wit my goil?" Spot hissed.

"I ain't _yoah_ goil, Spot Conlon." Curly growled, glaring at him.

"Stay outta dis, Curls." Spot snapped.

"What gives ya righ' to tell her what she can and can' do?" Jack growled.

"Ya know who ya messin' wit, Jack?" Spot asked, taking a step forward.

"Yeah, Spot Conlon, da wondahful King 'a' Brooklyn, right?" Jack also took a step foreward. "Look at me, I'm tremblin'."

"Good, cuz I nevah wanna see you around heah again, Kelly." Spot took another step closer to Jack.

"Watcha gonna do about it, Conlon?" Jack took another step.

Spot reached his hand back and punched Jack square in the jaw. Jack stumbled backwards, but stood his ground and punched Spot, causing his nose to bleed.

Spot wiped his nose on his hand and growled, punching Jack in the face again. Jack stumbled backwards again, lip bleeding, but stood up and punched Spot in the stomach. Spot recoiled and Jack raised his arm to hurt him again, but Race grabbed his arm.

"Jack, come on, let's go."

"No, Racetrack, let go 'a' me." Jack hissed.

"No." Race stood his ground.

Jack looked back, glaring at the shorter Italian.

"Get outta heah, Jacky-boy. I nevah wanna see ya ugly mug in my parts again." Spot seethed.

Jack shook his arm out of Race's reach, but Race grabbed it again, holding his leader back.

"Get outta heah!" Spot yelled, taking a step foreward.

"Dis ain't ovah, Conlon." Jack spat, shaking out of Race's reach and storming out of the Brooklyn barracks.

Spot wiped his nose on his hand again and spit blood out of his mouth. Lucks winced and walked over, taking Racetrack's hand.

"We should go." She whispered. Race nodded and the two of them followed Jack.

Flashbox nodded at Fidget and the quiet girl left. All that was left was Flashbox, Curly, and Spot now.

"Curls? Can I tawk ta ya?" Spot asked.

Flash kept a firm grasp on Curly's shoulder.

"Alone?" He glared at the girl's leader.

Flash shot a stern look at Curly, who nodded. She sighed and let go of Curly's shoulder, turning to leave. When she reached the doorway of the room, she turned to glare at Spot before leaving completely.

"Whaddya want, Conlon?" Curly asked, crossing her arms.

"Was it dat nigh' when I had ta leave early?" Was the first thing he said.

Curly glowered at him. "You are unbelievable, Spot, ya know dat?" She exclaimed.

"Was it?" He hissed, spitting more blood out of his mouth.

Curly glared. "Yeah, it was."

Spot stared at her, partly shocked, partly loathing her. "Well den, why doncha run off wit Kelly. I'm shoah you two an' ya child'll be very happy wit each othah." He said, wiping his nose again.

Curly's mouth fell open. "What?" She asked.

"I said get outta heah, Curly. I nevah wanna see you again." He snapped.

She began to cry. "Spot, baby, ya can' do dis ta me. I love ya." She sobbed, walking up to him. She touched his arm.

He turned away from her.

"Spot?" She whispered.

"I said get outta heah, Curly." He said, his voice sounded sad. "I ain't gonna say it again."

"Spot?" She cried. "Please."

He cleared his throat and turned at her, his blue eyes blazing with mixed emotions. "Burns, Marbles!" He called. Within seconds, two large men appeared in the room with papers in their hands.

"Yeah Spot?" The shorter one, Burns, asked.

"Make shoah Curly leaves Brooklyn safely." Spot said, still staring at the crying Curly.

"Yes, sir." The taller one, Marbles, nodded.

Curly bit her bottom lip. "I love ya, Spot." She whispered, leaning foreward and kissing Spot. And then she left. She stopped at the doorway and turned to look at him, but he was looking away, wiping the blood off his face and hands.

---

**End Note:** So, whad'ya think huh? I love Drama, lol... it's so much fun! Well, I'm off to play poker with Racetrack and possibly write another chapter for you guys... so, toodles! Don't forget to **_review_**! .:.- Lucks ;D -.:.


End file.
